Meeting with Owen's dad
Did you know?
Staff must always maintain confidentiality when dealing with any situation.
When Alison spoke to Owen's dad, John, on the phone, John seemed very concerned to hear what had happened and he drove straight over to collect Owen.
Alison welcomed John when he arrived at Cybertots and invited him to meet with her in the office so she could explain what happened earlier with Mrs Forbes.
What would you suggest Alison say to John? How should she go about explaining what happened earlier, remembering the following key points:
- confidentiality must be maintained
- respect must be shown
- Owen's best interests must be safeguarded.
Take the role of Alison, and plan your conversation with John. Consult the Cybertots policies on the Intranet and list which ones will guide what Alison says.
In your notebook, write out exactly what you would say, making sure that you remember the key points listed above.
A positive outcome
Alison and John had a good discussion about Owen's best interests, and Alison was satisfied that she handled the situation effectively.
After speaking with Alison, John went to collect Owen, who was happily playing with the other children. Owen seemed excited that his mum had been to see him, and John gave him a big hug and said that he would be able to see mum again soon.
This is a good example of the importance of working within a legal and ethical framework. In a situation like this, it is important that copies of all relevant documentation are carefully filed in the office so that staff can easily refer to them. If Salwa and Alison hadn't been fully aware of all the relevant legislation, and the specific parenting orders for Owen's parents, this sensitive situation may have had a different result.
Before she stops by the office to make a note of what happened today in Owen's file, Alison quietly reminds all the Cybertots staff about Owen's situation - just in case Mrs Forbes comes back another day.
Consult the Cybertots Intranet to find out which Cybertots policies Alison and Salwa followed throughout this sensitive situation.
- in your notebook, draw a simple two-column table like this
- in the Policy column of your table, make a list of the policies that relate to how Alison and Salwa managed what happened with Owen and his mum and dad
- in the example column of your table, next to each policy name, write an example of how the policy was followed.
| Policy | Example |
|---|---|
| Confidentiality | Alison took Mrs Forbes to the office to talk. |
Consult the Cybertots Intranet. In the Policy column of your table, make a list of the policies that relate to how Alison and Salwa managed what happened with Owen and his mum and dad. In the example column of your table, next to each policy name, write an example of how the policy was followed.
To make sure you have completed all the activities for this section, you can use the Activity Checklist (Word 72Kb). You can print the checklist to keep in your notebook.
